DYLAN Davies and co-driver Llion Williams dominated the second round of the Pirelli MSA Welsh Rally Championship by taking the top spot by nearly a minute over four classic stages in Hafren and Myherin on the Mid Wales Stages event.

Snow, ice and mud greeted the 120 crews at the event, making conditions difficult in the Maxxis Tyres-supported Subaru Impreza, and the pairing took second fastest on the opening stage, which ran up Pike Peak. Stage two them saw the Welsh crew take a lead that they would never lose over the next three stages of the day.

“The conditions have kept things interesting today, grip levels are so difficult to guess when your climbing and dropping down forest roads,” said the Llanon ace.

“It’s a great result for us and the team to take victory, which is our first in the Welsh Championship, and which makes up for the retirement on the last round.”

Davies and co-driver Williams, of Caernarfon, took maximum points, but with two rounds gone it’s Andrew Jones from Pwllheli who leads the driver standings.

From the Newtown start it was the Worcestershire pairing of Paul Davy and Roger Allan who had taken the lead on the opening stage of the rally, the classic Pikes Peak, ahead of Davies and Williams, who suffered a minor off on the stage, with Andy Davies and Max Freeman making it an all Subaru Impreza top three.

Unfortunately for Davy and Allan, the following stage would see them forced to retire with mechanical problems, promoting Davies and Williams into a lead that they retained all the way to the finish.

It gives the lead in the co-drivers’ championship to Williams, while Davies moves to second place in the drivers’ standings.

With Andy Davies and Max Freeman remaining in second place for the remainder of the event they now share the lead in the Group N standings, for less modified cars with the unfortunate Davy and Allan.

It was another Group N car, the Impreza of Surrey’s Wug Utting partnered by north Wales co-driver Dan Nieroda that finished in third, despite a couple of early spins. He shares placed third in the Group N standings with Roland Llewellin.

The Impreza of Craig Golder from Llandrindod and John Caine finished fourth, ahead of that of Tim Green and Rob Smith.

Sixth place for Andrew Jones was enough to ensure that the Mark 2 Escort driver not only leads the overall Championship, but also the Vital Equipment WnRC Junior Challenge for drivers under 25- and the two wheel drive category.

He also leads the RAVENOL Welsh Challenge, whilst another Escort driver, Nev Jones, lies second and Sion Ellis of Dolgellau is third in his Nissan Sunny.